'Sheeple' of Mass. follow soft tyranny of federal rule

Some of us are in awe at the breath of fresh air in your editorial about the Connector website. We don't experience that very often. We only hope you are not targeted by the IRS for an audit.

You are right that the "sheeple" of Massachusetts, like those of some other states cannot handle the truth. As has been pointed out more than once, people keep complaining about Congress, but keep re-electing their own representative in hopes of getting the bacon back from Washington. They seem unaware that taxpayers have to send the money to Washington first. That only lets the federal government take out its "share" before sending less back. So much for the one party state.

Another problem with the whole situation is letting the federal government get involved with health care in the first place. Alexis de Tocqueville pointed out in the 1830s that American democracy would be endangered by centralization. We now have a federal government involved in social security, welfare, education, energy and health care. As de Tocqueville foresaw, freedom is lessened by centralization since bureaucrats in Washington are not equipped to make good decisions at the local level. They are better at amassing power and producing the paternalism Tocqueville saw as soft tyranny.

Around 1930, if not earlier, subsidiarity began to be talked about. It is the principle that things should be done at the lowest level possible. What can be handled in town should not be done by the county. What can be done in the county should not be left to the state.

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What can be taken care of in a state should not go to Washington. People closest to the scene are better at handling their own affairs than people farther away. We now have let Washington take over most of what should be our decisions. We have let ourselves in for soft tyranny.

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